After arguing with the system in a back-and-forth, Noah finally decided to peek once again.
[Come on, host! You are literally immortal in this world! Why are you so scared?]
"Yeah, yeah. Immortal this, immortal that. Do you know what 300% pain tolerance means? I would rather die than feel that pain."
"But fine, I'll look. I'm immortal in the shop, so I can just peek while keeping one foot inside."
Noah cracked the door open and scanned the area.
'Great. My magical interdimensional shop spawned in some forgotten alleyway. No wonder only a desperate guild master found me.'
The alley was worse than he'd imagined—cramped, dim, with suspicious stains on the cobblestones. Definitely not prime real estate.
He was about to retreat when a flash of red caught his eye.
'She's back!' Noah's heart leapt as he swung the door wide, plastering on his best customer service smile.
"Welcome back to my humble sto—"
Valeria shoved past him with her armored shoulder. "Move, bread boy. The princess is coming in."
Noah nearly choked on his own tongue. 'Princess?!'
"Of course, welcome, Your Highness!" he stammered, eyes widening as the second figure stepped into his shop.
This princess wore a long robe, dark green and fitted to her athletic frame.
A simple silver circlet rested on honey-blonde hair cut at the shoulders.
Maybe twenty-five, with almond hazel eyes that missed nothing.
"So this is it?" She raised an eyebrow, surveying the tiny space. "The miracle bread shop, Valeria wouldn't shut up about?"
Her accent was crisp, and she was confident in her speech.
Valeria coughed, making the princess smile.
The princess circled Noah's pathetic shop like a hawk, fingertips trailing along the empty shelves.
"And you're the baker." She stopped directly in front of Noah, close enough that he could smell something like cinnamon and leather.
"You're... not from around here."
It wasn't a question.
Noah's stomach dropped. "I, uh—"
"He's not from Esta, Your Highness," Valeria cut in. "Foreign baker. Very mysterious."
The princess didn't look away from Noah's face. "Much more foreign than that, I'd wager." A smile played at her lips. "I'm Princess Elara of the Eastern Provinces. And you're something entirely new."
Noah swallowed hard. "Just a humble baker, Your Highness."
"Humble bakers don't appear overnight in abandoned alleyways with healing bread that glows when eaten." She tapped the counter. "How much?"
"Three gold coins," Noah said automatically.
Elara actually laughed.
"You are not giving the princess a discount! You are more shameless than I thought." She said, crossing her arms
Elara's smile only widened.
"I like him." She pulled a small coin pouch from her belt. "Two loaves. Now."
Noah's heart raced as he carefully took the bread from the shelf. 'Two more sales!'
As he worked, Elara leaned against his counter, studying him with unnerving intensity.
"Strange times we live in," she mused. "Demon attacks increasing, random shops appearing from nowhere, and a baker who speaks with an accent I've never heard." She tilted her head.
"Where did you say you were from again?"
"I didn't," Noah replied, handing her the bread.
Their fingers brushed, and a jolt like warm electricity shot up Noah's arm. Elara's eyes widened slightly.
"Definitely not from this kingdom," she murmured.
Elara smiled, dropping six gold coins on the counter with a musical clink. "Relax, Baker. Why do you look so tense?" She tucked the bread into her leather satchel.
She turned to leave, then stopped at the door. "The Magic Academy would love to have you as one of its students. Would you like to join?"
Magic Academy? Like some kind of discount Hogwarts where they'd make him wave wands and recite Latin while wearing a pointy hat?
Or maybe one of those battle academies where students fought each other for rank in some byzantine hierarchy? He'd read enough web novels to know exactly how that would go.
'Let me guess—there'd be spirit beasts, and some tournament arc where I'd face the arrogant young master from a noble family,' he thought sarcastically. 'Complete with a tsundere female lead who'd hate me before inevitably falling for my "mysterious powers."'
"It's okay. I'm fine here. Thank you for the offer, princess."
Elara blinked twice, clearly taken aback. "That was... surprisingly quick." Her amber eyes glinted. "Think about it."
The door closed behind her with a soft click, leaving Noah alone with his thoughts and six gold coins.
"System, I just turned down a fantasy magic school, just to be this store's manager. Can I not get a reward?" Noah said, scooping up the coins.
"...Maybe I should've accepted her invitation."